Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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Looking for a Chanukah gift for your child? Birthday gift? Look no further. The Jewish Academy of Orlando Book Fair has the latest books that every child will be looking for this Chanukah. The Fair will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Friday, Dec. 4 from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. They have books for all ages that cover many points of interest. In addition they have some wonderful books for adults as well. The Jewish Literature section, published by Kar-Ben Publishing, has a... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Think unity. On the heels of this year's rancorous and polarizing debate over the Iran nuclear deal, organizers of this week's General Assembly of Jewish federations wanted their annual conference to be an opportunity for reconciliation and healing in the Jewish community. At their conference in Washington, they talked about civility, touted the strength of the Israel-America relationship, and managed to secure the participation of Israel's prime minister-who a day before his... Full story
It has happened again-anti-Semitic vandalism in Central Florida. The first occurrence was in Oviedo where an Israeli flag displayed in the front yard was desecrated with red paint. This time someone spray painted a swastika and the word "Surprise" on the garage door and driveway of the home of David and Debra House in the Autumn Glen subdivision in the Winter Park/Tuscawilla area. The House family, who are members of Temple Shir Shalom (as is the Oviedo resident), first noticed the vandalism as... Full story
(Kveller via JTA)—When I moved to Israel 11 years ago, I knew many things about my life would change. I knew I’d have to learn a new language, a new culture and give up lots of things about my old way of life. But a girl’s got to be honest with herself—there are some things in life you can give up on and some things you’d never dream of letting go. For me, a traditional Thanksgiving is one of those things I’m keeping, especially here in the Holy Land. One thing you have to know about celebrating Thanksgiving in Israel is that while this may be... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-It took agreeing to set aside differences on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process for President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to get down to business on other issues afflicting the region, including the threat of Islamist extremism and the rise of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Appearing pleased and relaxed-if hoarse-after meeting with Obama for more than two hours on Monday, Netanyahu told reporters that the two had a pragmatic discussion... Full story
Despite their disagreement over the Iran nuclear deal, the U.S. and Israel "can and should work together now" to ensure that Iran complies with the agreement and to curb Iranian aggression throughout the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at the General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in Washington, DC. A day after meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House, Netanyahu told the JFNA delegates, "You work tirelessly to... Full story
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) President Barack Obama will not intervene to allow Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard to travel to Israel after his scheduled parole from federal prison next week, The Washington Post reported Monday, citing Obama administration officials. The terms of Pollard’s release stipulate that he remain in the United States, under supervision, for five years. Obama has the ability to use his executive power to waive that condition and allow Pollard to leave the U.S., but he will not do so, the report said. Last week, top O... Full story
No cracks, bams or dots about it. And no jokers here! Running into a wall... or wall game... was never so much fun! For nearly two years, a group of Orlando women have been playing mahjong and saving their "wall" winnings. For those that are not familiar, a "wall" game basically is a winner-less game. The group, composed of Es Cohen, Dolores Indek, Judy Kahan, Lila Tinkoff and Linda Wallerstein made a decision that each player would contribute a quarter each time there was a wall game, with the... Full story
Right in the heart of the quiet little city of Altamonte Springs, four women (ages ranging from 87 to 95)—Lee Delnick, Bernice Diamond, Helen Greenspan and Zelda King—were enjoying their weekly game of mahjong in the Escondido Condominium clubhouse when they were interrupted by Altamonte Springs police who came to shut them down. Apparently word got out that they were gambling and one person (whom King said is considered a “troublemaker and lives in Building 11”) called the police, citing some Altamonte Springs ordinance that said it is agai... Full story
Scouts from all over Central Florida set out on Nov. 7 to help replenish the Second Harvest Food Bank shelves. Scouts and Leaders from Troop 641 placed "Scouting for food" bags at homes in the Maitland area. Bags are filled by residents and are placed outside their doors on the 14th by 8 a.m. for pick up. For more information on Troop activities visit Troop641orlando.org.... Full story
Last week marked the 40th anniversary of one of the worst instances of anti-Semitism since the end of the Second World War. On Nov. 10, 1975, the United Nations—a body created out of the ashes of the Holocaust—passed General Assembly Resolution 3379, which equated Zionism, the Jewish national liberation movement, with racism and racial discrimination. That resolution was the culmination of a lengthy campaign by the Soviet Union to turn Israel into the only state within the U.N. system to have its legitimacy questioned. Soviet Jews had been per... Full story
Nov. 9, 2015, was the 77th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, or “The Night of Broken Glass,” the term applied to the night of Nov. 9- 10, 1938, when, across Nazi Germany and German-annexed Austria, 91 Jews were murdered, tens of thousands of Jews were placed in Concentration Camps, and 267 Synagogues and 7,500 Jewish owned shops and businesses were destroyed by gangs of Nazis and other anti-Semitic persons. The news of the brutalization was known around the world, but no national government was willing to help the Jews under Nazi rule. The und... Full story
This letter is prompted by a note I received from an Internet friend who chided me for minimizing the threats of Barack Obama, John Kerry, and BDS. He thinks like Caroline Glick, whose columns express the view that if things aren’t optimal, they are terrible. Ms. Glick has a substantial audience. Some view her as the best thing since ice cream. She expresses a Jewish malady we’ve known about for years. A prominent symptom is the frequent expression of oy gevalt. Or Not again, and Why us? for those whose Yiddish is less than minimal. I have str... Full story
Disagreement on the status of the Temple Mount is at the core of the recent wave of violence and terror in the region. This is a religious war, we are told, not merely a political one, and wars in the name of God are far more dangerous than those fought for earthly goals. One problem with this description is that wars in the name of God are also often motivated or fueled by political causes. More particularly, and with regard to the present conflict, political considerations affect the perceived religious significance of holy sites. This is a... Full story
NEW YORK (JTA)—I have visited Europe many times, but last week I looked at it through a new lens in my first trip as CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. I undertook the trip after an invitation to address the annual meeting of the CRIF, the representative body for the French Jewish community and a valued ADL partner. It was an intense learning experience, with reason for hope and cause for concern. The hope came from hearing Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve speak forcefully at the CRIF meeting about the government’s intention to provide phy... Full story
Dear Editor: Right now, I am sitting on an airplane scrolling through my Facebook feed. I am sitting here wondering how is it possible that our country is so advanced that we are able to provide in-flight WiFi (thanks, JetBlue), but we can be so primitive that people still resort to bullying and violent crime to boost their own self-confidence. I grew up in Oviedo. When I moved here from North Carolina, I experienced more diversity and inclusion in my own neighborhood than I had ever experienced in the five years I lived in Concord. On my cul-d... Full story
MORNING AND EVENING MINYANS (Call synagogue to confirm time.) Chabad of South Orlando—Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 a.m., 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael—Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona—Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom—Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy of Orlando—Monday—Friday, 7:45 a.m.—8:30 a.m. Temple I... Full story
Max Fruchter, age 95, passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2015, at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn. He was born in Germany on Oct. 15, 1920, to the late Yakov and Miriam Greentuch Fruchtengarten. A confirmed bachelor, Mr. Fruchter spent his career as a tailor in the garment industry. He is survived by his nieces Marlene Farber (Skip Honigstein) of The Villages and Dr. Helaine (Don) Linzer of Pittsburgh and their families. He was predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Leona Fruchter. A graveside service was held at Beth... Full story
Morton Nagan, age 94, of Winter Park, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, at Westchester Health Care Center. A native of Rochester, New York, he was born on June 30, 1921, to the late Louis and Celia Gershon Nagan. He served in the U.S. Army in Dachau and Normandy during World War II and later graduated from City University in New York with a degree in Civil Engineering. On Jan. 1, 1955, in Brooklyn, Mr. Nagan married the former Martha Goldstein, his wife of over 60 years, who survives him. They relocated to West Palm Beach from Queens in 20... Full story
Jordan Nowak, age 32, of Winter Springs, passed away on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, at South Seminole Hospital in Longwood. Jordan was born on July 13, 1983, in Secaucus, New Jersey, to Deborah Buder Nowak and the late Stuart Nowak. He relocated to the Orlando area with his family from Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1994. Jordan owned and operated a pool cleaning service. He is survived by his mother, Deborah Nowak of Winter Springs; his brother, Jason of Winter Springs; his fiancée, Courtney Bauer and their daughter, Emerson Bauer of Winter Springs. He was... Full story
Bella K. Tresser, age 80, of Orlando, passed away on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015, at Hospice of The Comforter in Altamonte Springs. Born in the prelude to WWII in Poland to the late Sigmund and Elsa Wortsman Kerner, she and her parents escaped Europe by the humanitarian kindness of Chiene Sugihara to Shanghai. Bella eventually emigrated in 1948 to New York where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Hunter College. On Feb. 11, 1956, in New York, she married Melvin Tresser, her husband of nearly 60 years who survives her. Following Melvin’s service in the... Full story
Cleide Waissmann-Fischer of Orlando, passed away Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015. She was 60 years old. Cleide, who worked in the Central Reservations Department for Rosen Hotels & Resorts, was originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Desiring a safer environment for her two children, she came to the United States in 1998. She met her future husband, Gary Fischer, at a social gathering on March 16, 2002 and their lives were changed forever. Fischer fondly recalls that event. “One of the ladies at my old synagogue had been hounding me for months to meet t... Full story
By Pamela Ruben "Today's A Taste in the Park and multi-generational festival more than lived up to its name, and exceeded all our expectations by bringing every generation to the table on behalf of the elder community," stated Jewish Pavilion Executive Director Nancy Ludin. More than 400 participants of all ages stepped up to the plate, munching happily on samplings from dozens of restaurants while visiting with friends and neighbors of all ages at the Pavilion-sponsored tasting event. The... Full story
Memories of World War II... (I hate to admit it but I have such memories also, even though I'm NOT that old!!!!) In a recent issue of Reminisce Magazine, a lady named MARLENE B. BROWN wrote this article. It struck a chord with me and I send it along to you: "How well I remember the last days of the war; I grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and my neighbor Frank and I shredded old newspapers and filled bushel baskets in anticipation of the war's end. On the day victory was announced, Frank took the... Full story
(JTA)—One of the suspected terrorists in the Paris attacks entered Europe with a flood of Syrian refugees, according to reports. On Sunday, the death toll in the attacks on the French capital rose to 132 as some of the wounded succumbed to their injuries in the hospital. Also Sunday, French Police issued an arrest warrant for a Belgian man, Abdeslam Salah, who is believed to be the brother of a terrorist who died in the attacks. Another brother was arrested in Belgium, according to reports. “This individual is dangerous, do not interact wit... Full story
